Module: HIS5119-20 History Matters? The public, politics and the past

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor:

Module Tutor Contact Details:

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This is a module about things. It explores things as a historical source, what things can tell us about society, culture, politics and identity and how museums, archives and other institutions collect, interpret and preserve things.

In this module students will learn to read, analyse and research a variety of objects, think critically about collected objects, and discover different ways of understanding the complex relationships between people and things in the past and present. Planning, producing and evaluating an interpretive event will give students the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned and build on the public facing work they undertook at L4.

Through the visits, students will learn how to access and use museum collections and the potential for working with museums for future research, projects and placements. Hearing from museum staff will also provide an insight into a range of different roles within the heritage sector. For History, Heritage & Public History students this will be the foundation for the placement/project work they will undertake at L6.

2. Outline syllabus

This module will introduce the key concepts and approaches to reading, analysing and interpreting objects, images and buildings. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach, and drawing on history, archaeology, anthropology, cultural geography and material culture studies, we will consider the different ways in which we can study and learn from things. Starting with the development of the study of material culture, we will use a thematic approach to explore current key theories and debates.

• Key topics could include:

• Objects as historical evidence

• Reading objects, and images

• Object biographies

• Conflicted and contested objects

• Politics, identity and the social life of things

• Production, consumption and disposal

• Collection, curation and interpretation in context

• Materials, materiality and the senses

• Students will explore and apply these concepts and approaches through the visit and workshop sessions.

These will include:

• Analysing and researching objects

• Managing and caring for museum collections

• Accessing and using museum collections

• Object handling

• Interpreting objects

• Revealing hidden histories

The brief for the object interpretation event will vary each year but will focus on the interpretation of an object or group of objects for a defined audience. This flexibility will allow the students to respond creatively to the brief provided and enable us to work collaboratively with colleagues and sector partners. Specific sessions and workshops to support the interpretation event will be dependent on the form this event takes.

Potential events include:

• Object interpretation and handling sessions for BSU students

• Object based activities for a heritage event

• Online resources related to object interpretation

• Interpretive panels or object labels

• An object based exhibition

• Object interpretation via a tour or a podcast

3. Teaching and learning activities

This module will be taught through a mixture of seminars, workshops and site visits. It will involve working with objects from teaching collections, BSU collections and museum collections. The seminar sessions will be used to introduce key approaches and ideas that will then be further explored through museum visits. These visits will include gallery tours, behind the scenes tours, object handling and talks from specialist staff. Each visit will be followed by a review session so students can critically reflect on the visit. Workshop sessions will give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned and get informal feedback on their ideas and approaches. There will also be a series of workshops to scaffold the planning, delivery and evaluation of the interpretation event. Individual tutorials will be used to discuss progress and give feedback and provide support.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Coursework

• Description: Object analysis and interpretation report (1500 words)

• % Weighting: 40%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Coursework

• Description: Interpretation project (3500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 60%